(Waterloo Region, ON - October 8, 2018) - The 2018 Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest Thanksgiving Day Parade Celebrity Judges have revealed their top picks for the best floats in this year's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The floats that have been selected, by the judges, to receive honours this year are:

The 2018 Judges for the parade were: “Fritz & Fritz” aka Bill Madill and Mel Colvin, former Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest volunteers and the original “keepers of the keg”, Bill Pegg, President of Kitchener Panthers Baseball and Kitchener Sports Association, and Ronald P. Schlegel, Chair & Owner of Schlegel Villages.

The Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest Thanksgiving Day Parade, which featured numerous colourful floats, clowns and award-winning marching bands on a route travelling from Kitchener to Waterloo, was broadcast nationally on CTV at 12 noon to an estimated audience of over one million viewers.

“We are excited to celebrate our 50th Anniversary with so many new & renovated floats, along with many exciting bands. Every year the Parade gets better and this year an even higher standard has been set,” said Alfred Lowrick, Executive Director.

The 10th Annual Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest 5K Fun Run, presented by Waterloo Region Record, navigated the Parade route just before the parade started, with close to 500 participants there to run the route! First place went to Justin Spalvieri with his time of 16:51 and Carley Somerset with her time of 19:16.

About Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest

Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest is Canada’s Greatest Bavarian Festival. The not-for-profit organization was founded in 1969 by a group of volunteers committed to contributing to the social and economic vitality of Kitchener and Waterloo, Canada. Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest annually provides $22.2 million of economic benefit to the community, while not-for-profit organizations associated with the festival raise an additional $1.5 million each year for their cause. Hosted in the twin cities because of the strong German heritage, Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest celebrates German food, music, fashion, and more! The nine-day festival runs every October and is operated by eight year-round full-time staff, over 450 volunteers, and 1,300 community and service club volunteers. Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest is one of the top three most recognized event brands in Canada. For more information visit www.oktoberfest.ca.
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2019-09-30 17:00:00Restaurants throughout Waterloo Region offer a prix fixe menu with a beer pairing for their patrons to share the Bavarian Spirit of Gemuetlichkeit and celebrate Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest!